"During my first at-bat, I had my adrenaline going," Gonzalez said
during an on-field press conference after the game. "My mentality was to get
the guy in from third, the second pitch was a fastball in. When I saw the
flight of the ball, it was a great thing."

Gonzalez, who spent five years with the San Diego Padres from 2006-10,
finished 1-for-5. He was the centerpiece of arguably the biggest waiver-wire
trade in the history of Major League Baseball with the Boston Red Sox earlier
Saturday.

Boston sent the first baseman Gonzalez, outfielder Carl Crawford, right-hander
Josh Beckett and infielder Nick Punto to the Dodgers in exchange for first
baseman James Loney and two prospects -- pitcher Allen Webster and infielder
Ivan De Jesus -- along with two players to be named later.

The no-longer-cash-strapped Dodgers took on approximately $270 million in the
blockbuster.

Gonzalez is set to earn $133 million over the next six years of his contract,
a deal struck by former Red Sox GM Theo Epstein that expires following the
2018 season. Crawford, another Epstein acquisition who is signed through 2017,
is due $108.5 million over the next five years.

Beckett still has $31.5 million remaining through the end of his deal in
2014 and Punto, who worked a pinch-hit walk in the eighth inning and scored a
run, will make $1.5 million in 2013, the final season of a two-year package.

Gonzalez, Beckett and Punto sat at a table behind home plate after the game to
answer questions from the press while fans stayed to listen to the new
additions.

Andre Ethier, who tied a franchise record with 10 straight hits, went 4-for-4.
His bloop single in the seventh inning tied a club mark that was set in 1919
by first baseman Ed Konetchy.

Clayton Kershaw (12-7) fanned eight and surrendered two runs on three hits and
two walks in eight innings for Los Angeles, which has won two straight on the
heels of a three-game losing streak. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner is
5-1 with a 1.94 ERA in his last six starts.

Josh Johnson (7-11), who has lost four consecutive decisions, allowed six runs
on 10 hits and a walk for Miami, which has dropped four straight contests.

"JJ was off on everything tonight," Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen said. "When
you face that lineup, you need to bring your best stuff. Today he didn't have
it with him."

After Jose Reyes' RBI groundout in the visitors first gave Miami a 1-0 lead,
Johnson used 45 pitches to get through the Dodgers' four-run home half.

Back-to-back doubles by Mark Ellis and Luis Cruz brought home a run before
Matt Kemp singled to center field.

Hitting cleanup and after ripping the first offering from Johnson just foul
down the right field line, Gonzalez walloped Johnson's second pitch as it
hooked around the right field foul pole.

"It is Hollywood, huh," Mattingly said jokingly. "Adrian's hit was huge,
right out of the shoot. It was a good swing."

Gonzalez gave high-fives his teammates when entering the dugout and tipped his
batting helmet as the raucous crowd cheered on. He became the sixth Los
Angeles Dodgers player to homer in his first at-bat.

Giancarlo Stanton led off the second with a moonshot deep into the seats in
left field, but Ellis answered by beginning the home half with a shot to
center field, which made it 5-2.

The Dodgers then plated a run apiece in the third, fifth and eighth innings to
conclude the scoring. A.J. Ellis had an RBI single to left field in the third,
Ethier belted a solo shot to right field in the fifth and Cruz smacked a run-
scoring single to left field in the eighth.

Game Notes

Johnson needed 89 pitches to get through his start ... Kershaw's season ERA
sits at 2.84 ... Los Angeles finished 5-for-14 with runners in scoring
position, while Miami was 0-for-4 ... Stanton's homer was his 28th of the
year.

35roots

MIAMI: 2LOS ANGELES: 8Final

Aug 25 11:59 PM

35roots

Luis Cruz single to left scored Nick Punto with none out. On the play, Mark Ellis advances to third. Runners on first and third and Matt Kemp due up.